Long Drive - Good Company

Woke at 7am. Spouse made decision about 10am that we'd risk driving to daughter's in-laws who live near Jemez Pueblo. Roads not too encouraging when we started it - snow covered to Pojoaque. Plowing was just beginning. Better between Pojoaque and Santa Fe - more slushy than snowy. By the time we got to Bernalillo, it was like we'd driven to Arizona - no snow, blue skies and sunshine but we could see to the north dramatic dark views of the stormy Jemez Mountains (or maybe to San Pedro Park country). Between San Ysidro and Vista Hermosa Road, weather was fine.

Spouse masterfully drove us all the way there and back. We dropped off son-in-law's Grandma in Rio Rancho. She's a lovely 85 year old woman who once lived in Los Alamos.

Daughter and son-in-law had to leave Christmas dinner early because grandson was sick. They took him to the emergency room in Los Alamos because he was wheezing and said he hurt all over. He has an inflammation of his airways or bronchioles. They took a chest x-ray, hooked him up to a nebulizer which is a mask to somehow ease his breathing and prescribed Prednisone to ease the inflammation. Poor daughter didn't even get a chance to eat her Christmas dinner. They drove back through the Jemez and the roads got a little icy around the curviest part of the road when the entered Los Alamos County.

We enjoyed our Christmas Day in the red rock country of the Jemez Mountains (I have the red dirt on my tires to prove it! : ) Son-in-law's family is really nice. We got to meet his sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew for the first time. His Mom and step-Dad live in a beautiful straw bale house.

The southern Jemez Mountains are stunning. I looked at the topo map and the tall mesa behind the house might be an extension of Cat Mesa called Mesa de los Datiles. On the map, it looks like a cat's paw. There's a big canyon that parallels San Diego Canyon called Cañon de Cercado that runs along Cat Mesa. Such interesting country.

I walked 4 miles this evening, down to Diamond Drive. It was beautiful walking on the snowy sidewalks (not icy) on a Christmas night. I listened to Deliah on 99.5. When I got back, I did some shoveling, including for our neighbor. Our neighbor's son-in-law on the other side has been shoveling our sidewalk so, as advised by Deliah, I decided to "pay it forward", that is, to pass along the kindness extended to us.

Will sleep in tomorrow. Would like to snowshoe but it depends on when I wake up.

Blowing and Snowing

Grandson is eating a root beer popsicle right now. He's being dosed with Tylenol and cough strips. Antibiotics coming soon. He woke up with a temp of 100.5 degrees.

Won't be going to Bradbury for Brain Teasers exhibit today because grandson sick and it's snowing and blowing; but, on bright side, exhibit is in town until March 31, 2009 - gives us time! : )

Tonight Grandpa makes Boboli pizza for 3rd night of Hanukkah!

Grandma will soon retreat to bedroom/exercise-space to get Ripped! with Jari Love exercise dvd.

Second Night of Hanukkah

Grandson and daughter came by for Manwich sloppy joes. Son-in-law was working at bookstore.

Presents for last night and tonight were books and dvds. Grandson thought it funny when I pretended to be dying and fell on the floor when daughter used hand buzzer on me.

We light the candles, one for each night plus the shamus or helper candle which lights all the rest , say a blessing and give him some candy and presents each night. There are six more nights.

Grandson coughing a lot. Hope he doesn't have cold. He spent weekend in Durango going on the Polar Express train.

Daughter shared chocolate bar with me that she got as a gift from the company that she orders chocolate bars from for the bookstore. It was delicious!

Afterwards, daughter went to the bookstore to buy some small, fun presents to go with all the books.

Sister called from Ohio where she's visiting 88 year old aunt. Aunt got on the phone for a few seconds and said she wasn't feeling well and got off. I hope she feels better in the Spring. Sister said aunt smiled at different things sister said to me to tease aunt.

Lentil Soup

Roaring winds today. Didn't snowshoe but should have as it would have lifted my mood.

Made lentil soup. It's a kitchen sink soup which has lentils, tomatoes, sweet red peppers, pumpkin (all these canned); spinach, okra (frozen veggies); fresh garlic and onions; dried seasonings of fennel, shitake, mint, dill, thyme, coriander, hot red pepper, onion powder, rosemary. I should have added some tumeric. I added two tablespoons of olive oil at the end. It tastes good but I'll have to eat it for quite a while. It will go good with the flax-sesame muffins.

I'm concluding that the d-ribose and coenzyme Q10 do nothing to ramp up my mitochondria. I returned the l-carnitine after I read that it can lower your thyroid hormone. I'm tired right now.

I did successfully snowshoe in Valle Canyon and my foot did well. I felt vital and alive during that. I want to snowshoe again.

Spouse will repeat his abdominal CT scan next Tuesday. Options are if there is an abscess on his appendix, the surgeon could drain it to make the surgery safer and then remove the appendix. Spouse has an appointment with the surgeon on December 29. From how tender his belly still feels it seems that removal of his appendix is a foregone conclusion.

Christmas vacation begins next week for the kids. I watch grandson Monday from 2-5pm and Tuesday from noon to 5pm and maybe on Wednesday from 10am to noon. There's a new exhibit at the Bradbury Museum called Brain Twisters that I'd like to take him to. I have several movies for him to watch. There's a Christmas celebration at the Railyard that I could take him to in Santa Fe. I could take him on a walk or to a playground as long as the weather's not too bitter and his parents bring warm outerclothes. There is always our wonderful library!

Big Snow

Woke up at 9am to a foot of snow. Ate, did math practice in GRE book, took a long time to get ready to walk downtown but finally started out at 2pm. I had to fit my package in my backpack and some library stuff in a plastic bag to hand-carry. I tried hard to figure out how many layers to wear but ended up sweaty and chilled at post office in 50 minute wait. A family of five decided this would be the day to get their passport photos taken. Took one of the two clerks 15 minutes to take care of them. Finally, a third clerk came out to help people.

After the post office, I finished my walk by going to the airport gate and back. Then, I had no choice but dig out spouse's car and clear the driveway some. Spouse had earlier dug out mine enough to take it to Smith's. With one car gone, it was easier to work on the snow in the driveway. I cleared more of a path for the mailman and cleared snow from the side yard gate so I could pull the trash and recycle bins out for tomorrow night. I must have worked for an hour and then came in feeling pretty overwhelmed by everything. It wasn't until 9pm that I was done with supper and straightening up.

I wanted to snowshoe to daughter's tonight to drop off some things but snow removal operations used up my remaining energy.

I've gotten to the part of Polar Dream where the windstorm from Hades swept away all her food except for some walnuts and most of her fuel except enough to melt a pint of water a day for the remaining seven days until she gets picked up. I like how simply she has written of her adventure.

Snowy Day

I set the alarm for 8am this morning because I thought I could go out before the snow came in but the snow beat me. It was already a white world and more falling when I woke up.

Imagine my surprise when I saw my Suburu gone from the driveway! Spouse took it to be safer driving to work in the snow. A note would have been nice. I was perturbed but got over it, especially since my habit is usually to stay inside the day it snows and venture outside the next day when the storm's passed.

I really don't want to do another Leslie Sansone walking dvd though. Her dvds can get a bit boring. I'll do some resistance work dvds and maybe yoga.

I'm in the midst of breakfast-lunch. Spouse is coming home early to avoid the crush of commuters going down the Main Hill Road. Sometimes during a snow storm it has taken him an hour to get home because the Main Hill Road traffic backs up all the way down Trinity.

This is the time of year when it seems spouse is home more than at work because of all the holidays and the lab closing down for a week between Christmas and New Year's Day. It started rather early this year, though, because he's not feeling well. Still no resolution on the inflamed appendix. He sees his doctor on Thursday to talk about what to do next.

I'd like to mail a package today and go to the library and drop off some stuff to daughter. I could walk downtown late afternoon to accomplish those chores.

Blustery Day

Wind is a blowing out there. I'm going to do some exercise dvds later. I've become wimpy in my dotage! Winter storm didn't amount to much in town. The tiny amount of snow already melted but temps have stuck in the 30's.

Did a load of laundry - whee!

Spouse drove to Santa Fe to see The Day the Earth Stood Still with his work buddy. I gave him the Suburu in case he encountered ice or snow but road conditions are pretty good per a report from daughter. Daughter and family stayed in a bed and breakfast overnight in Madrid to see the Christmas lights.

Wow - Polar Dream by Helen Thayer is really good. Last night when I went to bed (at the ungodly hour of 1:30am - was still awake at 2pm and woke up at 9am), I imagined what it would be like to be in a tent with winds howling and snow piling up, threatening to collapse the tent. I don't think I've enjoyed for a long time a book like I do this one. I don't want it to end.

She does have a lot of philosophy about how to survive in the outdoors. The latest epiphany she had was that during the storm, the best way to deal with it was not to rail against it (like I do if I walk outside in a strong wind but was OK with the strong winds last night) but to accept it and not try to fight it. Not to say that you give up and die - she did have to go out in the middle of the night in the enormously strong winds and blowing snow to shovel snow off the tent so it wouldn't collapse.

There's a lot in that book that has application to ordinary, every day, indoor life. A lot of it she learned from her husky dog, Charlie, given to her by the Inuits. During the storm, she looked at Charlie who lay calmly sleeping, gathering his strength for when the storm abated and this quieted her anger at the storm that she couldn't control.

REI Blitzkrieg

Went to Santa Fe. Spouse stayed home - taking it easy. Tried out parking garage at Railyard - it's free until Christmas. Picked up orders at REI but no Gore-Tex boots yet - neutral running shoes, Spenco flat insoles to wear under orthotics, glove liner, Easton 25" men's snowshoes with "Quick Cinch Binding" (actually, I bought that in the store with the 20% off coupon code you get from REI's website - good until December 24.)

On to Walmart - returned reading glasses, bought grandson some Hanukah candy and pistachios.

Last stop was Vitamin Cottage - stocked up on LaraBars and other goodies.

At first tonight, I was unsure about walking in the gusty winds (33mph peak per weather man) but I bundled up and did 4 miles. I was so well-dresssed (5 shirts and a parka over all) that I over-heated. It's pretty warm outside right now. If we're going to get snow, it better start getting colder! The waning moon lit up the snow on the mountains. Saw 5 deers, including some bucks, near tennis court on Canyon. I like to walk down Canyon in the dark when there's a full moon.

South Side of Pajarito Mountain Bare of Snow

Walked 4 miles on FR181 today. There is still snow on it but also long stretches of mud. Didn't see much in the way of tracks except for truck tracks and people tracks. Clouds were hanging low like it's going to do something. Could see patches of sun under the heavy clouds to the northeast and to south. Except for what looks like a tiny patch of snow on the westernmost peak of Pajarito Mountain, the whole backside of the mountain is bare.

Baking Brussels sprouts right now, smothered in onion, garlic, dried mint, mirin rice wine and Range Sun Dried Tomato salad dressing. Tasted it a few minutes ago but it needs to cook more so onions soften. Smells delicious. Ate a pomegranate - yummy - while waiting for it to get done.

Article on the Valles Caldera Trust in tonight's Monitor said that Trust terminated contract with ENTRIX on business plan but that's not quite what was said at the meeting. Lucia Turner said that the business plan as delivered does not meet the original requirements in the RFP that ENTRIX contracted for and that negotiations were ongoing either to see if ENTRIX would do everything they said they would or, if not, then the Trust would re-nogotiate the contract for a lesser amount commensurate with the work ENTRIX actually completed.

Flax Seed Muffins

I ground up a bag of flax seeds this morning and made muffins with all kinds of ghastly ingredients but they taste good. I may stick to only two a day until I see how my GI system likes the flax. Ingredients included canned sweet potato puree, oat bran (now why in the world did I put in both oat bran and flax seed?), garbanzo bean flour, fennel powder, wakame (seaweed) powder, salt, olive oil and sesame gomasio.

I did a weigh-in this morning before I got dressed. If the scale is right, I weigh 146 which is fine. I must have shrunk my jeans in the dryer. Either that or else the body fats all been re-distributed around my waist.

Spouse went into work but my only work a half day again.

I'll make my breakfast smoothie soon and then go out for my daily four miles. I like to do four miles and right now, my feet are cooperating.I would have gone with one of the senior center hiking groups this morning but after going to bed at 1am last night, I slept in until 8:30am so that put a 9am hike out of the running.

I went to a Valles Caldera Trust board meeting yesterday with Dorothy. It was supposed to last from 1-4pm but didn't end until 5:22pm which meant I had to drive back in the dark. I did OK. Spouse cleaned the headlights this weekend with Plast-X, which he bought at Auto Zone. He did a good job removing some of the oxidation. (I kid that the headlights have had their cataracts removed! It improved the night-driving experience, that's for sure, although there were times between Los Alamos and Pojoaque when the white lines seemed really dim. That's due, no doubt, to my cataracts which I'm not going to remove for a while!